God’s Big Story

Today’s study is one that I can’t do full justice to in one day and deserves a series on it’s own, but we because we are examining this within an ongoing study, we have to try, as this ties everything together.

A few teachings I will recommend for today; — Tell the world (8 parts); The Theology of work (7 parts) They were taught together. One thing I have realized is that when such teachings are mentioned, we rarely go to them, but it is impossible to fully explain everything I want to say in an hour what was taught over 15 weeks. So please! Do go over it, if you take one part per day, you will be done in two weeks, thereabout. And also, we will have a study week sometime next year to go over God & Culture even more;

Recap

Nehemiah 8:1–3 NKJV

1 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

We have been studying to see “worship” as our end goal in bible study and bible reading, meaning, my bible study, will eventually get me to worship, if done properly.

Psalm 119:1 NKJV

1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!

The bible called such a man blessed!

Psalm 119:9–10 NKJV

9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

This is one text that captures the heart of the conversation very well;

The way for a young man to cleanse his way? By taking heed according to God’s word.

Psalm 119:9 ESV

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

The ESV said, by guarding it according to your word.

There are certain questions that should come to our mind as we are reading;

Why should I walk in the law of the LORD?

Why should I keep my way pure?

That is, beyond the commandment, what is the WHY? Is there a reason to it?

What is it with man keeping the law of God? This is our question for the day.

But before then, he said, He let us know HOW to keep our way pure, it has to be guarded according to the word of God.

Meaning, the guardrails for how our lives should be, is found in the law of God, and we have to seek it, study it and get to the heart of it.

That means, since my worship and walking in the law of God is only possible by God’s word, it becomes apparent then, that I cannot be flippant with it, I cannot treat it anyhow, it will require deligence on my part to see ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE, AND ALL THAT I AM TO DO.

Worship therefore, flows from my devotion.

Revelation Knowledge

As we study further, we see then, that whilst the man is diligent, the seeming contradictions are as a result of something missing.

You will find in the Psalm we are reading multiple prayers surrounding the law of God.

Psalm 119:33–40 NKJV

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

David’s prayer here shows us something that as he meditated and studied the scriptures, he wants God to give him an understanding. As YOU delight yourself in the law of God, we pray for it to open up to us more than anything, for it to reflect God’s heart even in our day and time.

The law in today’s world

If the law of God is vital to man, how do we find the practicality? How does the law of God answer salient questions of our day such as Marriage, Divorce, IVF, Body modification, Substance Use, Politics, Euthanasia, Organ Transplantation, Blood Transfusion, AI, e.t.c.

It might seem so obvious on the surface on some subject matter, but maybe not, and that is what we want to examine.

Examining Israel

When we look at the laws generally, it would seem that they were irrational etc.

Leviticus 15:16–21 NKJV

16 ‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. 17 And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. 18 Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 19 ‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

The question is, WHY? What is God so concerned about regarding bodily discharge? It is mind bugling to you and I today until we begin to examine the distinction of God’s people and their surrounding culture, these things are used in direct worship of dieties in their day.

Bodily discharge were used as means to stimulate the gods of fertility (like Baal and Asherah), ensuring that they would, in turn, make the land, livestock, and people fertile.

Hence, in distinguishing Yahweh and the worship of Yahweh from Baal and Asherah, The Levitical purity laws were designed to ensure they had no place in the worship of the God of Israel, defining Israelite religion in sharp contrast to its neighbors.

So, there is a distinction, that doesn’t blur the worship. If Israel is just like the surrounding culture, there is no distinction, worship is blurred, yahweh could as well be Baal. But there is a clear cut distinction, we are Yahweh’s and these are the people of Yahweh.

Hence, God’s people show him as DISTINCT and themselves DISTINCT from their surrounding culture.

Leviticus 19:1–2 NKJV

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Hence, the law were not just mindless, or not so important laws, they were reflective of a culture shaped by God, among other cultures.

God is holy, his people are holy.

Hence they are people who live in a God shaped culture, within the culture of their day.

1 Peter 4:1–4 NKJV

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

Notice again, “THEY THINK IT STRANGE”; So, there is God and his people within the day and culture, and it will sound strange, it will sound counter-cultural, but you must understand, that culture (of the gentiles) is shaped by life apart from God not often with God.

Does that mean everything in our world is shaped by a culture that is anti-god? does that signify a not god shaped culture? For example, is the conversation around IVF, or surrogacy showing a culture anti-god? The answer is not always yes, or no. It begins with we should ask, WHAT IS A GOD-SHAPED PRACTICE, OR CULTURE? HOW DO WE REFLECT THIS? HOW DO WE DEFINE THIS? Notice, it will seem quite different within our time, our day and also the next few generations; but it is all towards same goal and plan.

What we should ask is, what is a God shaped culture like?

Why does God set apart?

Why do they have to be that way? Why a God shaped culture? Let us study this more.

Israel and Yahweh

Israel’s story didn’t begin in Leviticus, it started in Exodus;

Exodus 4:21–23 NKJV

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

Let My son go that he may serve me;

Serve — עָבַד (ʿābad)

Lexham Theological Wordbook עָבַד

This word has a variety of meanings. In some instances, the verb carries the idea of “to serve” (e.g.,

You will see this again in Exodus 3:12

Exodus 3:12 NKJV

12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

You will see the term again; “ʿābad” which means to worship on this mountain.

This is very consistent with everything we have been studying;

Israel were a people SET APART, TO BE PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP YAHWEH. They were set apart for worship. Hence, the law reflects WORSHIP OF YAHWEH IN THEIR DAY.

They were set apart to serve God’s will in their day and time. The laws were a reflection of them serving the Lord’s will & cause in their time.

WHAT IS THAT WILL?

Numbers 14:21 NKJV

21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord—

I like how the LEB puts this verse;

Numbers 14:21 LEB

21 but as I am alive, the glory of Yahweh will fill all the earth.

Now, the context is interesting;

Remember, we said they were set apart to serve, and now they rejected the Lord, they ought to be through whom God’s world is filled with his glory.

Hence, the laws were to help man find himself within the ultimate will of God, i.e. to advance God’s will and plan for the world, the laws were not the end in themselves.

So whilst I would say, the law is the will of God, it is yet, to advance God’s ultimate will and plan for the world within their culture and time.

What is God’s plan for His world? Why does God set apart?

Genesis 1:28 NKJV

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Fill the earth and subdue it.

Yet, God has invited man in, to be part of this process. He has called mankind his image, to fill the earth.

So while we read Genesis 1 and see God creating (giving functions and usefulness and order), the earth wasn’t filled yet, nor subdued.

The filling of the earth, is with the glory of the Lord.

So, when asked, what is God’s big plan, what is the story of scriptures?

It begins with God having an end goal in mind, that end goal is to have a world that is unified, where God’s glory fill all the earth.

Man & God’s plan

Now, notice something here, God invited mankind in; He wants man to work with him, man to function within his world, but, that man ought to advance God’s plan for the world, “to have a earth filled with God’s glory”.

Hence, man has his destiny in God’s plan and vision.

The law is there, to advance God’s cause and God’s plan, in a generation towards a earth filled with the glory of God.

Mankind ought to find themselves within God’s plan and his ultimate story, to have the whole earth, filled with the glory of the Lord.

This was why God called Israel, this is why God has called you and I.

The believer & God’s plan

Now, that means, for you and I today, we are saved to that very cause of God, salvation is God setting you and I apart for thesame cause.

1 Peter 2:9–10 NKJV

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We proclaim his praises… as his own people.

Now, Paul puts it in an interesting way, and this is where we have been going to;

Ephesians 1:18 NKJV

18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

That you may know, the hope of His calling;

This is what we have been studying;

“the hope of His calling” refers to that divine invitation and destiny — God’s ultimate purpose for His people within His plan for His world.

Praying to see it

Now, Paul’s prayer is for man to see it. Meaning, we might not naturally see this hope, we might not naturally respond to it.

It is one thing to see that man ought to respond to God’s plan, and advance God’s cause in his day; it is another to beleive and begin to advance that cause of God.

Paul is saying, He is praying for the church, to SEE & RESPOND TO GOD’S CAUSE.

This is why God called Isreal, this is why God has called you and I.

Responding to f

END TODAY WITH PRAYER TO SEE GOD’S ULTIMATE PLAN AND WILL, WHICH IS FOUND IN A RENEWED WORLD.

So, we find packed here 3 things;

God has a plan for his world;

God made man for a purpose within this world and with an identity;

and God has a way of order in his world;

THE LAW OF GOD, IS FOR MAN TO FIND HIMSELF IN THE ULTIMATE WILL OF GOD.